Federal Agencies Seize $76 Mln Worth Illegal E-Cigarettes

Around three million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products, with an estimated retail value of $76 million, have been seized by the U.S Federal agencies in their efforts to curb nicotine addiction and tobacco use in American youth.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection or CBP announced the administrative seizure as part of a July joint operation to examine incoming shipments and prevent illegal e-cigarettes from entering the country.

Amid the increasing nicotine addiction among American youth, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FDA, joined by multiple law enforcement partners, in June had formed a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes in the country. The Federal Task Force intends to coordinate and streamline efforts to bring all available criminal and civil tools to bear against the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes.

The agency now said it is collaborating with Federal Task Force to accelerate further enforcement actions to stop the illegal importation and distribution of unauthorized e-cigarette products in the United States.

The news comes as a newly released data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey indicated that tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students has dropped to the lowest level in 25 years.

Further, data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey released in September by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the consumption of e-cigarette among American youth has dropped to the lowest level in a decade. Half a million fewer U.S. youth are currently using e-cigarettes compared to 2023.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf now said, “The FDA is on high alert and, in coordination with our federal partners, remains committed to stopping unauthorized e-cigarettes at our nation’s borders. These products too often end up in kids’ hands, and the newly formed federal task force is well positioned to collectively combat this unscrupulous activity.”

In preparation for the operation, the joint team worked for several months to review shipping invoices, identify potentially violative incoming shipments and complete other investigative work, leading to the seizure.

As per the probe, all examined shipments were originated in China, and there were various brands of illegal e-cigarettes, including Geek Bar and others. Most of these unauthorized e-cigarettes were intentionally mis-declared as items with no connection to vaping products and with incorrect values, so as to evade duties and detection.

The FDA said the products that are seized and forfeited to the government will be disposed of in accordance with CBP authorities.

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